If you’re looking for Dee C. Marshall, you’re likely to find her at the forefront of any transformative shift in the business landscape. From navigating leadership and development, diversity and inclusion, and now AI adoption, her extensive career has always been dedicated to helping individuals navigate the societal changes essential for their professional growth. As our world increasingly embraces the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), Dee is committed to guiding companies in adopting a people-first approach to its implementation. No matter where she is, Dee makes sure her work is centered on the idea that people should remain at the heart of every step in business evolution.
Dee’s Journey: From Wall Street to AI
Dee began her career on Wall Street, where she trained million-dollar producers and worked with top Fortune 500 corporations, always focusing on leadership. “That was really the beginning of finding my passion, finding what I really love. And that was human development,” Dee shared. Across her varied career, the “thread” has been her desire to help people navigate change and achieve development.
“It’s really about providing a solution. My career has really been a thread through training and development, learning and development, change management.” This solid foundation in leadership and human impact has informed her current role as the CEO of AI Training Plus, where she is dedicated to transforming the workforce through AI training.
A Defining Moment: Purpose Shaped by Perspective
Dee’s career took a profound turn while she was working on One Plaza Drive during the 9/11 terrorist attack that changed millions of lives forever. For Dee, that moment reshaped her professional path but also her sense of purpose. Dee recalls asking herself a question the day after the attack, that would guide every step forward: “If I died yesterday, would I have any regrets?” That moment of clarity pushed her beyond the structured world of Wall Street and into work rooted in meaning, service, and human development. “I didn’t want to just go back to Wall Street and continue on about the routine and the three o’clock Starbucks and that whole thing and so that was the defining moment,” she says.
Dee chose to pursue a path where impact was intentional, starting with volunteering for her church which led to a church job and working for the Secretary of State. Her shift marked the beginning of a career centered not just on business outcomes, but on helping individuals and organizations navigate change with purpose and resilience.
The Rise of AI: A New Frontier
In 2023, prompted by an urgent conversation with an advisor, Dee recognized the immediacy of the shift to artificial intelligence that was taking place. “Everybody on the staff has to learn AI,” she recalls being told. This urgency sparked action across her organization.
Dee led a company-wide initiative to explore AI, ultimately building a certification program designed to help small and mid-sized businesses become AI-powered. For Dee, this evolution wasn’t a departure from her work but rather a continuation of it. As she explains, “whatever is impacting people at work, that is our sweet spot.”
“Training and development, solving data driven people problems in the workplace is really our value add…We are here to help business owners, CEOs, corporations solve data-driven people challenges that either impact productivity, performance, burnout, engagement. That’s how we ended up in pulling the thread to AI because in one season it was inclusion and respect in the workplace…and now in this season, it’s AI impacting and influencing the work.”
By focusing on data-driven people challenges, her organization ensures that AI adoption remains grounded in real workforce needs, bridging the gap between emerging technology and human-centered solutions.
Navigating AI Adoption: Addressing Common Concerns
Through her work with business leaders, Dee has identified a consistent set of concerns shaping how organizations approach AI. At the core is a lack of clarity. Many leaders struggle to fully understand the opportunity AI presents, making it difficult to determine when and how to act.
Equally pressing is the absence of clear policies. As teams begin experimenting with AI tools, organizations risk exposing themselves to unintended consequences without defined ethical guidelines. Dee emphasizes the importance of structure in these early stages, encouraging businesses to take proactive steps: “If you’re still hesitant, let’s do an audit so that you can see what the potential opportunity is.”
Finally, there is the question of competitiveness. Leaders are increasingly aware that delaying adoption may leave them at a disadvantage. Together, these concerns highlight a central theme in Dee’s work: AI is not just a technological shift but an organizational one, requiring clarity, strategy, and intention.
Maintaining Meaning in an AI-Driven Workplace
As AI becomes more integrated into daily work, questions naturally arise about job satisfaction and purpose. Dee reframes this concern by positioning AI not as a replacement, but as a collaborator. “AI can be a tool for redundant, repetitive tasks that AI could perform,” she explains, freeing individuals to focus on higher-value contributions.
This shift creates space for more meaningful work centered on critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. According to Dee, rather than diminishing human contribution, AI has the potential to elevate it, allowing individuals to engage more deeply with the aspects of their work that require uniquely human insight.
Responsible AI: Ensuring Inclusion and Awareness
While Dee is optimistic about AI’s potential, she is mindful of its risks. A strong advocate for responsible AI, she highlights concerns around both ethical use and accessibility. Her work reflects a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind as technology advances.
This commitment is embodied in her leadership of Global AI Adoption Day, held this year (2026) on May 6. AI Adoption Day is an initiative designed to bring education and inclusivity to AI implementation. At the heart of this effort is a simple but powerful belief: “If AI is for good, then AI should be for all.”
By creating opportunities for individuals and organizations to learn and engage, Dee is helping to democratize access to AI, ensuring it serves as a tool for collective progress rather than division.
A People-First Approach to AI
Central to Dee’s philosophy is the idea that technology should serve people and not the other way around. She cautions against an “AI-first” mindset that prioritizes efficiency at the expense of human value. Instead, she encourages leaders to begin with a different starting point: “Think about your people first.”
This approach requires organizations to invest not only in AI tools, but in the people who will use them. Training, development, and change management become essential components of successful adoption. When balanced effectively, this strategy leads to stronger engagement and a more resilient workforce.
For Dee, the distinction is clear: businesses that prioritize people while implementing technology are the ones best positioned to thrive.
Conclusion: Leaving a Lasting Impact
At the core of Dee’s work is a deeply personal definition of impact that extends beyond metrics and milestones. As she puts it, “Impact means that people somewhere are better off because I was there.”
This guiding principle shapes her approach to AI, leadership, and transformation. It serves as a reminder that even in the midst of rapid technological change, the ultimate goal remains the same: to create meaningful, lasting value for people.
By embracing a people-first approach, organizations can harness the power of AI while staying grounded in what matters most by ensuring their teams are empowered, their values are upheld, and their impact is felt.
To connect with Dee, find her on LinkedIn at Dee C. Marshall, or check out AI Training Plus.
